In the semiconductor art it is usual to form a photo-resist polymer on a suitable substrate which may be a substrate such as glass or the like for the production of a resist mask or may be a semiconductor wafer for the direct production of a polymer pattern on the wafer. Such polymer photo-resists have various problems such as suitable contrast between image areas and non-image areas in the processed resist as well as slower than desired response to light.
Another approach to the manufacture of semiconductor devices employs chalcogenide glasses such as arsenic trisulfide or germanium selenium chalcogenide glasses. Such chalcogenides are also photo-responsive. In addition, recent work with chalcogenides has included a method known as silver photo-doping in which a silver image on the chalcogenide which corresponds to a desired semiconductor device pattern is driven into the chalcogenide, causing it to be selectively etch-resistant. The silver-containing areas on the chalcogenide are etch-resistant, with the result that etching provides a pattern on the substrate permitting production of semiconductor devices through such silver doping techniques.
Both such prior methods require improvement, the most apparent need for improvement being a need for better photo response.